Communication students are encouraged to do internships, but they are not required for the major. When applying for internship eligibility and finding for-credit internship placement, you have a choice of interning during the fall or spring semester, or summer session.

Summer can be a popular time to complete an internship, however, what is often overlooked is that summer credits are not part of your annual tuition charges. You are earning academic credits for working at an internship. Therefore, you will have to pay for these credits out of your own pocket, and payment is per credit. 

INTERNSHIP CREDITS FOR COMM STUDENTS:

• Earn 3-6 academic credits for work in the professional setting. More than 6 credits requires justification and more oversight (see Nancy Heiz)
• Work 40 hours per credit (i.e., 120 total hours for 3-credit internship = 8hrs/week during spring or fall semester)
• Because you must take the 1-credit Internship Seminar concurrently with first internship, that internship must be 3 credits minimum

Be sure to ask Student Accounts and the Financial Aid Office how much it will cost to earn internship credits during the summer. Remember to count the 1-credit Internship Seminar plus the Internship Credits.

Then, make an informed decision that is right for you.

To learn more, please visit https://www.newpaltz.edu/summer/ for more information on tuition & fees. For information on receiving summer financial aid, visit https://www.newpaltz.edu/financialaid/summer.html.